Slowly but surely, we manage to tell each other our own stories. And at the end of the conversation, night had fallen, and the ‘eco-conservationists’ have started to believe me.But that is only the tip of the iceberg.“So, you call yourselves ‘eco-conservationists,’” I ask, emphasizing the sentiment behind the term with finger quotes, “what does that mean exactly?”“We protect the forest,” says the Chief, his tone and expression clearly indicating that I’m kind of crazy for even asking that.“Yeah, I gathered that, but what is it that you exactly do? Do you have a certain organization? Do you have campaigns? Donation rallies for your cause? How do you get sponsors to help you all in this noble venture of yours?”Again, the group looks at me, bewildered.“Organization?” utters the girl who talked weirdly, “campaigns? What is it that you’re saying? I recognize them as words, yet the meaning is lost on me.”“Sponsors?” asks Geller, “never heard of them.”“Then how on earth do you find t
“So, what are you going to do with me now?” I ask them after the meal ends, “I’m innocent in all this. You’ve got yourself the wrong guy, and frankly, there’s nothing more I want to do than leave this frickin place and go home.”“Where is your home?” that questions come from Geller.“Clandestine city of course. That’s where I was born and raised until I went to university.”“University?” The whole group looks at me with interest.“You attend university?” Bryn inquires carefully.I narrow my eyes at them, “what, did you think I was too dumb or that or something? Of course, I attend university.”“There is no need to be hostile, we meant you no disrespect,” Medic rolls his eyes, “it is just that none of us had attended such an institution.”“Wait, seriously?” I look at them one by one, and then my gaze finally settles on Medic.I narrow my eyes at him, touching my head, “you mean to tell me that you’re not medically trained?”“I am medically trained,” Medic huffs with what seems like ind
It did take me some negotiations, but finally, I struck a deal with the eco-conservationists. I would think it would make my dad proud of my conduct in this whole affair if I was being a bit more egotistical. I mean, I would say I did a damn good diplomatic job saving myself from staying kidnapped.Even if I had to go on and promise these weird bunch of tree-huggers something downright ludicrous.I really need to learn impulse control when it comes to sentimentality.But when the next morning comes, the group of eco-conservationists bid me goodbye, and we take to the forest. I’m freed from my restraints after some apologetic glances are sent my way, and I rub my ankle perhaps a tad accusingly. I get some breakfast, and if they hadn’t kidnapped me, I’d have felt guilty for eating them out of their house when the people didn’t even have jobs, according to them that is. I did not know where they got the money for the groceries if they didn’t have jobs or even sponsors but wisely decided
“Oh, my god, Jace, you’re alive!” a flurry of blond hair buzzes past the men and women of the construction site who are gathered around me to gawk at my sudden return from the unknown.I feel myself give out an ‘oof’ when Coraline comes barreling towards me, her arms wrapping around my torso in a vice-like grip. Instantly, I feel guilty for being gone for about two days straight, even though the circumstances of my absence were beyond my control. Oliver Hannity comes right behind, parting the crowd. An expression of relief immediately dawns on his face as he takes me in.“Thank god,” he breathes, “where the heck have you been? We thought you’d gone off and fallen off a cliff somewhere!” Then his attention catches my bandaged head, and the eyes narrow, "it seems like I might not have been too far off my mark.”I roll my eyes at him, still bent over from Coraline hugging me.“It’s a long story,” I reply, trying to keep my voice grouchy, but it ends up coming out relieved as I feel infin
“We need to get home tomorrow,” I tell Coraline as soon as we get some privacy, that is after we set everything straight before retreating to the cabin. I actually find myself missing the cabin although it had only been two days, appreciating its homeyness and familiarity especially compared to a certain other cabin I found myself in the recent times. It’s a shame we have to leave it though.I’m going to miss sharing a living space with someone if I’m being honest, more than the cabin. Coraline and I were really good roommates if I dare say so myself, we somehow fit in without giving each other trouble. I consider that quite a feat, given how many bad experiences about roommates I’ve heard of in the university, even if the said roommates were girls. I’m going to miss the easy routine we had going for us, the banter and the companionship of sharing a bathroom and kitchen, the way we both found ourselves being in sync with each other, so we didn’t get in the other’s way while trying to
“I’m telling you, Jace,” says Coraline, “you’re insane for doing this.”We’ve packed everything up already, and honestly, we did not have much here that our ours. We decided to leave the groceries at home so the other person who would claim this place could use them, maybe the next manager who my father will have to order from here.I’ve sent him an email for that already, after trying to take a call but not coming up with anything other than the line constantly ringing. He must be out of the country again or at least in a no-signal zone.We’ve sent emails to everyone who concerns with our decision already before we started packing as the company needed warning in order to find someone new to fulfill the positions created by our absence. Of course, Oliver and the rest of the construction zone crew were flabbergasted at this new development. It will be throwing a bit of a wrench to my plans regarding the timber yard, but that deal could be done long distance. By now the preliminary tal
Oliver takes me to a side before we could part ways.“Look, I’m not even pretending to know what’s going on in that brain of yours,” he starts to gripe, and I raise my hand in a silencing motion.“Look, Oliver,” I tell him, not wanting to fight with the man again, not when I was just about ship out of here. I might not come back here for a long time from now, and I may not meet Oliver again. I did not want to leave here on bad terms. “I know that you don’t have much faith in me, but this is not a decision I’m taking lightly. You have to trust me when I say that even though you don’t, I know what I’m doing. Believe it or not, I’m not an idiot. I’ve had an extensive education in business, and I’m utilizing it for the betterment of my father’s company, which would one day be my own company if my father has his way. And guess what, no more than six months ago, I would’ve loathed it. But now, I don’t. I’m actually looking forward to it. And these things, these foolhardy schemes as you put
We watch from the wide windows of the train as the landscape that had homed us for the past few weeks, and I feel a strange sense of relief, knowing that we were bound for home. Although it was so sudden, Coraline looks happy as well.“It was great while it lasted except for a few parts,” suddenly, she said, her chin resting on her hand as she gazed out at the mountains, “but I’m glad we’re going home. I missed my parents.”“Oh,” I reply intelligently. And then I remember the package I’d snatched from the truck I’d taken to the town right before everything had gone to shit. I did not get to wrap it up as I had planned, but I will have to do without that now.Digging in my messenger bag, I fish out the package and hand it over to Coraline, who peers at it curiously with a bit of confusion.“What’s that?”“It’s something I got for you when I went to town,” I reply, trying not to blush at giving my best friend a gift. And no, I am not thinking about what those eco-conservationists said a